Applying for a Drawing

Before applying for a turkey license, the applicant should review the tentative turkey hunting information, specifically the limitations column, to determine the type of license that is valid in the specific hunt area for which you are applying.

An applicant shall apply for or receive no more than one (1) fall wild turkey license and one (1) spring wild turkey license in any calendar year. After the initial drawing is completed, an applicant may apply for and receive up to two (2) wild turkey licenses valid for each season, provided that at least one of those licenses is a limited quota type 3 license. However, no applicant shall apply for and receive more than a total of two (2) wild turkey licenses valid for the spring season and no more than a total of two (2) wild turkey licenses valid for the fall season.

Special archery seasons for big game are established by the Commission in late April. Information on archery seasons will be available on or about May 5. Traditionally, antelope archery seasons for most areas open August 15 and close the day the regular (rifle) season opens. For elk and deer, the archery seasons in most areas traditionally open September 1 and close September 30 or earlier in September when the regular (rifle) seasons open.

Hunters holding general or limited quota hunting licenses may hunt with bow and arrow or crossbow during special archery seasons if they first obtain an archery license in addition to their valid hunting license. Only one archery license is required to archery hunt all big game and trophy game animals. Archery licenses are available at the Cheyenne headquarters office, Department regional offices, automated license selling agents and on the WGFD website. Do not purchase an archery license until you have received notification of drawing results.

Some elk hunt areas offer hunting licenses for archery only and these licenses are designated as type 9 licenses in the Tentative Season Information tables. Type 9 elk licenses are often available as leftover licenses. Holders of type 9 licenses are not required to obtain an archery license in addition to the limited quota archery only license, but are restricted to hunting only in the area(s) and during the season specified for the type 9 license. In elk hunt areas that have type 9 archery only licenses, the special archery season may not be open when the type 9 license season is open or there may not be a special archery season.

Persons hunting with archery equipment during regular firearms seasons need not obtain an archery license, but are required to wear fluorescent orange.

In an attempt to assure fairness, all limited quota licenses are initially allocated to applicants on the basis of randomly generated numbers through a computerized drawing system. A computerized, random selection process will determine successful applicants.

If the applicant is successful, the license and a copy of the regulations should be mailed within 25 days of the selection date. For nonresidents, elk regulations will not be mailed until mid-June. Applicants who do not receive a license or refund within 25 days following the drawing result date should notify the Department. Applicants who wish to obtain results prior to mail notification may access this information at the WGFD website or by calling 307-777-4600. License fees are returned to unsuccessful applicants and to persons who submitted improper applications or fees. All refunds will be issued in the name of the applicant, regardless of who submitted the fee accompanying the application.

Neither the U.S. Postal Service nor any other mail delivery service is an agent of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Therefore, the Department cannot assume responsibility for mail delivery to and from the Department. If necessary, duplicate licenses or replacement warrants will be issued by the Department upon timely notification that the applicant failed to receive a license or refund warrant. Duplicate licenses may be purchased from the Department for a fee of $5.00.

Each drawing is independent of all other drawings. The drawing for each species is conducted independently and the result of one drawing has no effect upon other drawings. Therefore, success in the drawing for one species does not guarantee success for another. For example, success for a moose license does not guarantee success for a bighorn sheep license.

All full price limited quota and reduced price limited quota licenses remaining after the initial drawing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis through the Department's Electronic License Service (ELS) via the WGFD website, at Department offices and automated license selling agents, or through the submission of a paper application form to the Cheyenne headquarters office.

Full price elk, deer and antelope licenses will be available July 10, 2013, at 8:00 AM mountain time.

A current list of leftover licenses available for purchase will tentatively be located on the WGFD website on June 30, 2013.

A sportsperson should understand that the majority of leftover licenses are in areas with limited public access. Applicants are reminded about having permission to hunt on private land before applying for a license. Otherwise, you may end up with a license and no place to hunt and these licenses are nonrefundable.

Individuals who qualify for landowner elk, deer, antelope or wild turkey licenses must apply within the application period to the game warden in the area where subject lands are located. Landowner applications can be obtained at the Cheyenne headquarters office, Department regional offices or on the WGFD website.

Landowners are allowed to apply for one (1) reduced price landowner license per big game species in addition to one (1) full price landowner license.

Minimum requirements are 160 acres of deeded land and 2,000 animal use days annually by each species for which applied. Nonresident landowners should contact the local game warden to determine eligibility well before January 20 for elk and March 15 for deer and antelope. Resident landowners should contact the local game warden well before May 15.

Applications submitted on the WGFD website may be modified on the WGFD website. This feature is also available for paper applications once the application data is entered in the system. Go to the Department's website at http://wgfd.wyo.gov and choose "Enter a License Drawing" under the "Hunting" tab. Enter your sportsperson information and hit "submit." Click on the "View Previously submitted Applications" button and then the "Modify" button and then select the "Continue to update areas and types" button. You will not be able to modify the fee type for which you have submitted your application. For example, you can't change from a regular to a special or a reduced price to a full price or vice versa. The party originator must make the modifications to party applications. Modifications to party applications may also be submitted to the License Draw Section by fax at 307-777-4679 and must include the sportsperson identification number and the applicant's signature. The deadline for modifying hunt areas and types on applications is listed in the Resident and Nonresident Initial Drawing Application Period and License Fee Charts.

The Department issues without charge pioneer game bird, fish and small game licenses to any resident who is 65 years of age or older and who has 30 years of continuous residence in Wyoming immediately preceding application for a license. The license is valid as long as the licensee remains a Wyoming resident.

The Department and automated license selling agents issue a pioneer elk license for a fee of $5.00 and a pioneer deer, antelope or spring/fall turkey license for a fee of $2.00. If these licenses are applied for through a drawing process, a $5.00 application fee is required in addition to the license fee, except for turkey. Eligibility for these licenses is any Wyoming resident who is at least seventy-five (75) years of age and has continuously resided in Wyoming for at least 50 years immediately preceding date of application.

The Department and automated license selling agents also issue a pioneer heritage elk license for a fee of $32.00, a pioneer heritage deer license for a fee of $23.00, a pioneer heritage antelope license for a fee of $20.00 and a pioneer heritage spring/fall turkey license for a fee of $10.00. If these licenses are applied for through a drawing process, a $5.00 application fee is required in addition to the license fee, except for turkey. Eligibility for these licenses is any Wyoming resident who is at least seventy (70) years of age and has continuously resided in Wyoming for at least 50 years immediately preceding date of application.

Big game pioneer and pioneer heritage applicants must meet the above criteria by June 15th. Pioneer and pioneer heritage individuals applying for limited quota elk, deer or antelope licenses must compete in random computer selections to determine successful applicants and pay the applicable $5 application fee.

Pioneer and pioneer heritage general elk, general deer and general turkey licenses are issued from the Cheyenne headquarters office, Department regional offices and automated license selling agents without paying the $5 application fee. If you just want a general license, do not apply in the drawing.

Pioneer applicants desiring to purchase leftover licenses may do so at the Cheyenne headquarters office, Department regional offices and automated license selling agents.

Each applicant assumes an inherent risk when applying for a license to be used in the future. License fees are generally nonrefundable once a license has been issued and licenses are nontransferable. Please consider the risk when applying.

Licenses, stamps, permits or tags issued under Title 23, Wyoming statutes or by Commission regulation become the permanent property of the licensee and shall not be canceled or any fee refunded after the license, stamp, permit, tag or preference point has been issued except as follows:

i. In the case of the death of the licensee, any person who has authority to represent the decedent as provided by a court order shall submit a written request for a license refund supported by a copy of the respective death certificate;

ii. In the case of the death of the licensee's spouse, parents, grandparents, lineal descendants and their spouses, step-parent, step-sibling, step-children, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, step-son-in-law or step-daughter-in-law, the licensee shall submit a written request for a license refund supported by the respective death certificate. The date of death on such certificate shall have occurred during the regular season, resulting in the licensee not being able to participate in the majority of the regular season;

iii. In the case of incapacitating illness or injury of the licensee supported by a physician's sworn statement on a Department form;

iv. Military personnel who receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders or are assigned away from their home duty station on Temporary Duty Orders (TDY), all of this being supported by a copy of official military orders from the Armed Forces of the United States;

v. Individuals who are not able to participate in the majority of the regular season for the species specified in Commission Rules and Regulations during the year for which the license is issued as a result of a court subpoena, jury duty, Grand Jury investigation or attorneys required to attend criminal cases. A certified copy of the court document shall accompany the written request for the license refund;

vi. When the Department determines one hundred percent (100%) of the hunting opportunity and access to the hunt area has been closed due to administrative actions of the state or federal government in closing of the public access to public lands due to a natural disaster;

vii. An error on the part of the Department or its authorized agent where the applicant has been issued a license not requested;

viii. Any youth licensee may be granted a license refund if the youth licensee's opportunity to hunt is jeopardized as a result of any license refund granted by the Department;

ix. A sponsoring organization of a person with a life-threatening illness may be granted a license refund if the licensee's opportunity to hunt is jeopardized as a result of incapacitating illness or injury supported by a physician's sworn statement on forms provided by the Department that the licensee is incapable of performing tasks necessary to exercise the privileges of the license.

The appropriate refund form can be requested by calling 307-777-4516. Under no circumstances shall the Department approve a refund of any license, permit, stamp or tag if the written request for refund is received after January 31 following the season for which the license, permit, stamp or tag was issued or was valid. Refunds shall be denied in any circumstance where the licensee hunted on the license for the designated species as specified in Commission Rules and Regulations, including special archery seasons, during the year for which the license is issued.

For deadlines for withdrawing applications on the WGFD website or submitting a withdrawal form, please review the application deadline chart provided above. Applicants may not withdraw from the wild bison priority ranking or a preference point only purchase. A $5.00 fee will be deducted from the license application refund. The refund will be issued upon completion of the drawing. Pioneer applicants are exempt from the $5 withdrawal fee.

Withdrawing onlineTo withdraw an application online, go to the Department's website at http://wgfd.wyo.gov and choose "Enter a License Drawing" under the "Hunting" tab. Enter your sportsperson information and hit "submit." Select "View Previously Submitted Applications" and then the "Modify" button and the "Remove Application from Drawing" button. This feature is also available for paper applications once the application data is entered in the system.

Withdrawing Using the Paper ProcessYou may also withdraw your applications upon submission of a written request. Form 16 "Request to Be Removed From the Drawing" can be downloaded from the WGFD website. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure withdrawal forms have been received by the License Draw Section by the applicable date.

Holders of moose, mountain goat or full price bighorn sheep licenses, who are "Unable To Use The License For Good Cause" (see regulation, Chapter 44 for a definition of this terminology), may reserve a license for the same species and hunt area in accordance with Commission regulations for the immediately succeeding calendar year only. A disabled license holder must contact the Fiscal Administration Section and request a disabled hunter certification form. This form must be completed in full and signed by the applicant's physician and returned with the license prior to the earliest season date for which the license is valid.